Z-Ro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Z-Ro
Z-Ro in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Wayne McVey IV
Also known as	The Mo City Don
Born	(1977-01-19) January 19, 1977 (age 48) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Origin	Missouri City, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter record producer
Years active	1994–present
Labels	1Deep J Prince Rap-a-Lot Asylum KMJ Presidential Straight Profit Fisherboy S.U.C. (Screwed Up Click) EMPIRE

Joseph Wayne McVey IV (born January 19, 1977), known as Z-Ro or the Mo City Don, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. In 2007, The New York Times called him one of America's most underrated rappers.

Early Life

Joseph Wayne McVey IV was born in Houston, Texas, on January 19, 1977. When he was six, his mother passed away. He moved between different homes before settling in the Ridgemont area. This is a middle-class neighborhood near Missouri City.

Z-Ro found inspiration in music from artists like 2pac, Geto Boys, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. He discovered his talent for freestyle rap. After making a demo, a local record label signed him.

Music Career

Z-Ro released his first album with Rap-a-Lot Records, called The Life of Joseph W. McVey. This album was very successful. It helped him gain fans beyond the Southern United States. In 2005, he released Let the Truth Be Told. Critics praised this album. The Houston Chronicle called it "one of the best rap albums to come out of Houston."

In 2013, Z-Ro released his first extended play (EP) titled Tripolar. He followed this with The Crown in 2014. In 2015, he released Melting the Crown, his first studio album in three years.

Z-Ro continued to release new music. In 2016, he put out Drankin & Drivin and Legendary. Both were released under his own label, One Deep Entertainment.

In 2017, Z-Ro announced he would retire from music. He released No Love Boulevard as his last album that June. However, he returned to music six months later. He then released the album Codeine in December of that year.

In 2020, Z-Ro released an EP called Quarantine, The Social Distancing EP. It featured other rappers like Boosie Badazz and Slim Thug. Later that year, he released the album Rohammad Ali.

In 2021, Z-Ro teamed up with S.U.C. rapper Mike D. They released a collaboration album called 2 The Hardway. This album included appearances from artists like Slim Thug and Lil' Keke.

Legal Matters

In 2017, Z-Ro faced legal issues. His former girlfriend made accusations against him. A grand jury later dropped the serious charges. The case was dismissed in 2019 after Z-Ro completed a special program.

Discography

Solo Albums

Here is a list of Z-Ro's solo albums and how they performed on music charts.